Fans are convinced this widely believed 'Game of Thrones' theory will come true

Warning: Major Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones,"
including speculation of future events.

"A Song of Ice and Fire" fan theoriesare virtually endless, especially since author George R.R. Martin
has yet to publish the final two books, leaving
many storylines open-ended and up for
interpretation. But one fan theory is so widely believed by
the fandom that it may as well be canon. The theory is
known as "R
+ L = J" and centers on the question of Jon Snow's true
parentage.

According to a majority of the fanbase, Jon is not the
bastard son of Ned Stark, but the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and
Lyanna Stark.

If true, that could make Jon the rightful heir to the Iron
Throne, and the rare descendant of two very powerful houses.
Dragon-riding and warging abilities are two of the most magical
abilities a human can possess in the world of "Game of
Thrones," and this would mean Jon has potential for both.

With season six heading into uncharted territory, fans are
thinking we may soon hear confirmation of this theory in episodes
to come.

If you're not familiar with the popular theory, here's what you
need to know.

The origin of "R+L=J"

Season 1, Episode 1: "Winter is Coming." Robert
Baratheon tells Ned that Lyanna belonged with
him.HBO

"R + L = J" is one of the oldest fan theories, starting on as far
back as 1998, according to some readers. That
means fans have been waiting for nealy two decades for
confirmation on this idea. The actual theory title is (obviously)
a simplified version of Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon, but by using
first initials only people on forums like Westeros.org and /r/asoiaf are able to title their theory
discussions without giving away spoilers to those unaware of the
idea.

So, the theory itself. In the timeline of Westeros history, we
have to go back to 17 years before the events in season one. Ned
Stark and Robert Baratheon were best friends,
and Robert was betrothed to Ned's younger sister,
Lyanna.

The king at the time was Aerys Targaryen, known as the Mad King.
Aerys had three children: Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys. Prince
Rhaegar, the eldest, was in line to inherit the Iron Throne. He
was married to Elia Martell, the sister of Oberyn Martell.

Suddenly, Lyanna and Rhaegar both disappear. When Lyanna's father
and older brother accuse the Mad King and Prince Rhaegar of
kidnapping her, a war breaks out. Robert and Ned lead the
charge in rebellion against the Targaryens. The
war ended when Tywin Lannister sacked King's Landing and
Jaime Lannister killed King Aerys, earning himself the nickname
"Kingslayer."

Robert Baratheon killed Prince Rhaegar at the Battle of the
Trident. On orders from Robert and Tywin Lannister, Rhaegar's
wife Elia was murdered, along with her two children. Rhaegar's
younger siblings, Daenerys and Viserys fled Westeros.

Ned, who married Catelyn before leaving to fight in Robert's war,
found Lyanna dead in a place called the Tower of Joy. He returned
home with a baby boy named Jon, admitting to his wife that he had
an affair while at war. Ned raised the child in Winterfell,
giving him the last name Snow to point out his bastard origin.

In the season one finale, Bran and Osha are in the crypts, also
looking at Lyanna's grave. He tells the short-version
of the story to Osha: "King Robert was supposed to marry
her, but Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped her. Robert started a war to
win her back," Bran says. "He killed Rhaegar, but she died
anyways." As far as Bran (and the rest of Westeros) knows,
Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna against her will, and Lyanna somehow
died as a result.

But is that what really happened? Let's fast-forward to the
events unfolding "Game of Thrones," and see if the "R + L = J"
theory has any weight.

It's hard to believe Jon Snow is really Ned Stark's son.

Season 1, Episode 2: "The Kingsroad." Ned assures Jon
he "has his blood."HBO

Lord Eddard Stark is probably the most honorable man in Westeros.
Nearly everyone knows it, and some — like Littlefinger — take
advantage of it. Throughout the series, he is referred to as
loyal, dutiful, and highly respected.

So why would a man as noble as Ned break his solemn marriage vow?
Some characters on the show wonder the same.

In season two, Jaime taunts Catelyn Stark about Ned's
infedility while being held captive.

"I’ve never been with any woman but Cersei,"
Jaime tells Catelyn. "So in my own way, I have more honor
than poor old dead-Ned. What was the name of that bastard he
fathered? Snow? Now, when good old Ned came home with some
whore’s baby, did you pretend to love … the walking,
talking reminder that the honorable lord Eddard Stark f---ed
another woman?"

Though Jaime is clearly trying to push Catelyn's buttons
he makes a keen observation. He suggests Jon
Snow's conception seems a little out of character for Ned
Stark.

Another concrete time this infidelity is questioned comes
in season five. Stannis Baratheon and his wife, Selyse,
discuss Jon Snow and his parentage comes up.

"You think highly of this boy?" Selyse asks of her
husband.“Lord Commander of the Night's Watch,"
Stannis replies.
"And a bastard by some tavern slut," she says.
"Perhaps, but that wasn't Ned Stark's way," he
replies.

Season 5, Episode 4: "Sons
of the Harpy."HBO

This is the first time in the show a character outright questions
whether Ned is really Jon's father. For those who believe in "R +
L = J," Stannis' line was a huge hint toward
some confirmation.

As well, Ned was especially secretive about the details of
his affair, even from his good friend Robert.

Season 1, Episode 2: "The Kingsroad." Ned refuses to
elaborate on Jon's mother.HBO

In a season one episode, Robert and Ned reminisce on the
good ol' days of their youth, discussing their sexual conquests.
“Yours was uh, Meryl? Your bastard's mother?” Robert tries to
guess, referring to Jon. Ned's face looks grim. “Wylla," he
replies. No other details are given.

"That’s it. Must’ve been
a rare wench to make Lord Eddard Stark forget his
honor," Robert says. "You never told me what she
looked like."

"Nor will I," Ned says. Robert
looks taken aback. Ned and Robert were raised together, both
ward's under a lord named Jon Arryn. They are practically
brothers, and Ned's refusal to confide in Robert is
unusual.

Why would Ned dishonor himself and his wife, especially if
the dishonor was the result of a lie?

Ned's extreme sense of honor and duty can only be
compromised when it comes to children.

In the ninth episode of season one, Ned Stark confesses to a
treason he knows he didn't commit, and is executed as a result.
Varys convinced him to lie and name Joffrey — the bastard son of
Cersei and Jaime Lannister — as the true king. Why? Because
Sansa's safety depends on it. Ned knows serious harm will come to
her if he continues trying to unseat the Lannisters from
power.

Ned values the life of his children above his own honor and
glory. It makes sense that he would allow the world to believe
that he was once an unfaithful husband if it meant
protecting his family. And if Jon truly is the son of Rhaegar
Targaryen, he would definitely be in danger — especially from his
good buddy Robert Baratheon.

Season 1, Episode 2: "The Kingsroad." Robert vows to
kill every Targaryen child he can get his hands
on.HBO

If R+L=J is true, Robert would not have been
kind to baby Jon. He loved Lyanna fiercely. How would he
react if he found out that she had a child with Rhaegar?
Probably not too kindly since that child, half Stark and half
Targaryen, would have a claim to the throne Robert sat in.

Season 1, Episode 5: "The
Wolf and the Lion." Robert and Ned have a falling out over the
decision to murder Daenerys.HBO

Robert made it clear he didn't have much love for the remaining
Targaryens in season one. Multiple times he expresses his desire
to murder Danerys. Though Ned explains she is "little more
than a child," it all but falls on deaf ears.

Everyone seems to have Rhaegar Targaryen all wrong.

Early on, book readers and show watchers are led to believe
the Targaryen family is ruthless and (sometimes) insane. We
know the Mad King burned people alive out of paranoia, and
Daenerys' older brother Viserys is portrayed as having unsavory
anger issues. With Robert's clear distaste for Rhaegar, and
hearing he kidnapped Lyanna, it makes sense people would
assume the Targaryen prince was not a good man.

As both the show and book progress, we
begin hearing more about the type of man Rhaegar Targaryen was.
Ser Barristan Selmy tells Daenerys in season three he was
the "finest man I ever met."

Ser Barristan is considered one of the greatest and most
honorable knights in Westeros. If he believed Rhaegar was a great
man, viewers should consider that high praise. In the same scene,
Barristan told Daenerys about the rebellion, and the final battle
on the Trident. "When your brother Rhaegar led his army
into battle at the Trident, men died for him because they
believed in him, because they loved him," he claims.

In season five, Ser Barristan tells Daenerys even more
heartwarming stories about what a wonderful man Rhaegar
was. "He liked to walk among the people," Barristan
says. "He would sing to them. He was very good ... Rhaegar never
liked killing, he liked singing."

Season 5, Episode 4: "Sons
of the Harpy." Barristan tells Daenerys about how Rhaegar loved
singing.HBO

Based on these anecdotes, Rhaegar doesn't sound like a monstrous
man who would kidnap a woman for no reason.

In season four, Oberyn Martell also gives Rhaegar's character
more depth when he tells Tyrion a story about visiting
King's Landing. Remember, Oberyn was the brother of Rhaegar's
wife Elia. According to Oberyn, Rhaegar simply had an affair with
Lyanna.

"My sister loved him," Oberyn tells Tyrion. "She bore his
children … and beautiful, noble Rhaegar Targaryen left her for
another woman."

Season 4, Episode 1: "Two
Swords." Oberyn tells Tyrion what happened from his point of
view.HBO

Oberyn's choice of words makes it sound like Rhaegar
and Lyanna had an actual relationship. Could he know more about
the events from 17 years ago than the rest of Westeros?

Littlefinger is another character who may know more than he
lets on. In season five, Littlefinger and Sansa discuss Rhaegar
and Lyanna while visiting the crypts of Winterfell.

Littlefinger tells her a
story.

"Lord Whent had a great tourney
at Harrenhall ... Lyanna was already promised to Robert ... the
last two riders were Barristan Selmy and Rhaegar Targaryen. When
Rhaegar won everyone cheered for their prince ... until he rode
right past his wife, Elia Martell, and all the smiles died ... He
rode past his wife and lay a crown of winter roses in Lyanna's
lap, blue with frost ... How many tens of thousands had to die
because Rhaegar chose your aunt?”

Season 5, Episode 4: "Sons
of the Harpy." Littlefinger hints about the truth behind Rhaegar
and Lyanna.HBO

“Yes he chose her," Sansa
replies. "And then he kidnapped her and raped her."

Instead of confirming OR refuting
this allegation, Littlefinger simply smiled knowingly at
Sansa, almost as if he was amused by her indignant
response.

Worth noting is that this scene takes place in the same episode
when Stannis Baratheon questions Jon's parentage, and when
Barristan tells Daenerys about Rhaegar's love for singing. The
showrunners really seem to want the average viewer to question
Sansa's assumptions about Rhaegar.

Other clues about Jon's parentage in the show:

Context clues about individual characters aside, the "Game of
Thrones" showrunners have also slipped in a few symbolic
references to Jon's true parentage.

For one, there's a vision Daenerys had at the end of season
two. She walks through the throne room in King's Landing,
which is filled with snow. You know, like Jon Snow? It could just
mean winter is coming, but we love the potential double-meaning.

But the kicker is when she walks right out of the throne room and
out from underneath the Wall — where Jon Snow lives at Castle
Black. Daenerys has never seen the great ice wall, and
doesn't know who Jon Snow is but her vision seems to be drawing
her in his direction.

Another fun symbolic moment happened in season five when Maester
Aemon is talking to Sam about Daenerys. Aemon is a Targaryen
himself, Daenerys' uncle. "A Targaryen alone in the world … it’s
a terrible thing," he says.

And who walks in at that very moment? Jon Snow. Not only may
he be half-Targaryen, but he is practically alone in the
world with no family left that he knows of.

Ned also uses some tricky wordplay when discussing Jon's mother
with him early in the series. "You may not have my name, but
you have my blood," he says. Notice how he intentionally avoided
the word son. But he wasn't lying: the blood of Lyanna Stark may
run through Jon's veins.

So is "R + L = J" true?

Monica
Manalo

We know Prince Rhaegar and Lyanna disappeared together, starting
a war as a result. Though many believe he kidnapped Lyanna,
others seem to think it was an actual love affair. Based on
character clues from the men involved, it would have been highly
unusual for Rhaegar to spark a war over a violent kidnapping, and
even more unlikely that Ned broke his marriage vows and fathered
a bastard.

Instead, it is likely that Rhaegar and Lyanna were in love and
had a child together. And by turning to the books for
extra proof, Jon's parentage becomes pretty clear.

Ned was the one who found Lyanna after the battle was over.
In the first book, "A Game of Thrones," Ned has a dream-like
flashback to a place called the Tower of Joy. Inside the tower,
he finds Lyanna in a "bed of blood," and she repeatedly tells him
"Promise me, Ned, promise me." Fans believe the bloody bed means
she died as result of childbirth.

And the promise Ned kept? To protect his baby nephew, the
child of Lyanna and Rhaegar, from the wrath of Robert Baratheon.
To raise him as his own son, no matter the cost.

Fans have also kept a sharp eye out for clues from author
George R.R. Martin himself. In one interview, he spoke about fans picking up on clues he had
dropped in the earlier book, possibly referring to Jon's
parents.

Martin also made the show's producers, D.B. Weiss and David
Benioff,
tell him who they thought Jon's parents were before moving
forward with optioning "A Song of Ice and Fire" to HBO. "He
asked us, 'Who is Jon Snow’s mother?'" Weiss said. "We had discussed it before,
and we gave a shocking answer. At that point, George didn’t
actually say whether or not we were right or wrong, but his smile
was his tell."

What this means for Jon

HBO

Well, first off, it makes him the literal "Song of Ice and Fire,"
because of his ties to the northern Starks and the dragon-riding
Targaryens. This also means he is technically Daenerys' nephew.
In terms of claims to the Iron Throne, it would depend upon
whether or not Rhaegar actually married Lyanna, making
Jon a legitimate royal child.

Rhaegar was already married to Elia Martell, but Targaryens have
a history of taking multiple wives, so it is possible. If that's
what happened, Jon's claim to the Iron Throne is technically
stronger than Daenerys' claim. He's the direct male
descendant of the Mad King, whereas she is the sister of
the former prince.

Of course, this all only matters if Jon survives into season six
to learn about his parentage and act upon it. But don't worry,
we think he'll be just fine. Plus, there are
rumors of Sean Bean returning to reprise his role as Ned Stark
for a flashback scene. The location for these mysterious
flashbacks? The Tower of Joy.

The set location for the
rumored "Tower of Joy" flashback in season
six.Watchers on the
Wall/HBO

Fans may be in a for a huge surprise when Jon's true parents are
revealed in season six via a flashback to Ned at his sister's
deathbed. Then again, if you made it to the end of this post,
you'll be among the many fans who have been hoping for
confirmation of this theory for years.